Tear-stained
by DarkSoullessMoonlightX
Summary: "I'll be fine. I won't be beaten so easily. You know that better than I do." "You should've just let the bullet hit me..." "Why?" that one word was spoken so seriously, so coldly. "What for?" ColoLal ONE-SHOT!


**TIMELINE:** Well, I'm not sure if the Millefiore was created before or after Byakuran found out about the Non-trinisette or the same time. So in this story, just pretend that the non-trinisette was found out AFTER the creating of Millefiore.

**A/N:** I dedicate this fic to my friend, ** NashiLaylaSawada1806,** who is always telling me about how much she supports this pairing. Haha.

"Talking"

_Flashback_

* * *

**Tear-stained**

Her face was pale, a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead and dripping onto her chin. Her eyes were clenched tightly shut and her lips set on a tight line. The expression she wore was one of pain."Lal..." Colonello whispered softly. He looked down at the form of his ex-tutor and frowned.

They were currently in one of the infirmaries of the Vongola HQ in Italy where many of the injured from the latest battle were being treated. Lal's arm and her upper torso was wrapped in bandages. Her breathing was erratic. She was probably one of the worst off of the injured.

Colonello knew Lal could hear him, that she was conscious. She just wasn't speaking. He knew someone as injured as herself couldn't be moving around much anyway so he didn't mind having her just listening.

_Drip..._

_drip..._

_drip..._

_Colonello watched in shock as blood dripped out of Lal's wound. Although he knew he had to do something, he simply stayed in his frozen state, unable to move. He could distinctly hear voices in the back of his mind but he couldn't register them nor could he comprehend them._

_It had all happened so fast. While everyone was busy fighting of the Millefiore soldiers, a sniper had been able to sneak up on them and shoot the last bullet straight at Colonello with every intention of killing an Arcobaleno._

_The bullet had missed the target and so Colonello was not hurt. However, the bullet had hurt someone else and that was Lal, his ex-tutor._

_She fell with a loud thud. Some others fought off the soldiers but to no avail. There was just too many of them and they were already exhausted._

_Everyone was ordered to retreat and they did so, back into the destroyed and safe grounds of Vongola HQ. The injured were immediately brought to the infirmaries for immediate treatment._

_Colonello followed behind Lal who was being carried onto the bed. He didn't think they would be so easily defeated for a family that used to be the strongest ten years ago. But that was ten years ago, he thinks. He didn't think they had gotten that weak after the boss was killed by Byakuran. But they were really weak after Tsuna was killed, he thinks. He didn't think that the best fighters with them would be taken down so easily much less in the Vongola HQ in Italy, where the family was originally created. But they were never as good as Primo's generation, he thinks. He didn't think... didn't think Lal would have been shot._

_Lal... his tomboy tutor, very Spartan and very beautiful. She trained him hard, scolded him, slapped him when he was out of shape. But he still loved her anyway. Because there was no one else like Lal out there. Lal, the person who would beat him every training session they had, brought down by a single bullet._

"Why did you have to go and take that bullet for me...?" His voice was soft, almost inaudible but he knew Lal could hear it.

She opened her eyes and tried to push herself up by her arms. Instantly, Colonello was on his feet and trying to push her back down on the cot. Lal shook her head. "Let me...sit up..." she said weakly. Colonello made a mistake of looking at her eyes, filled with so much pain. And then he just couldn't reject her wish.

Colonello helped Lal to sit up on the cot but made her lay her back on the pillow. He sat on the stool beside her bed and bit his lip. What was he supposed to do?

"About your question..." Lal started. Colonello looked at her. "Why'd you do it?" he demanded softly.

"Because..." Lal managed a smile at him, "Teachers are supposed to protect their students, right?"

"But you're not my teacher! Not anymore! Why did you have to go and get yourself hurt?!"

"I know you know this but I'm going to say it anyway, I've never stopped teaching you, not even once. I always tried to guide you and give you advice the best I can. In a sense, I'm still you're teacher and you're still my student."

"But still!" Lal shushed him with a look.

"I'll be fine. I won't be beaten so easily. You know that better than I do."

"You should've just let the bullet hit me..."

"Why?" that one word was spoken so seriously, so coldly. "What for?"

"You don't know how I feel! Seeing you in so much pain that was meant to be for me! It hurts!"

"So? Haven't you ever thought of _my_ feelings? If _you_ had been shot, you would've died! At least consider my feelings a little! It's worlds apart from what you feel! I was just injured. But you, you would've died!" Lal yelled. Her body shook and she lunged at Colonello, grabbing him into a hug. She buried her face in his shoulder and let her tears fall. "_Don't leave me..._" it was so soft but Colonello heard it clearly. And just then had he realized how selfish he had been. Thinking that he didn't want to see Lal's smile leave, that he would lay down his life readily for that sake. He'd never thought about how she would've felt. Just then had he realized that it would also hurt her if he died. That no matter how she acted, deep down she was still a woman who was sensitive like all women were.

Colonello wrapped his arms her and let her cry on his shoulders. "I won't. I swear I won't ever leave you alone." Lal looked at Colonello's eyes. "Promise?" she sniffed. And then the Colonello she had always known was back, appearing like an idiot with that carefree grin of his that was so captivating. "Promise."

Colonello brushed away the tears from Lal's eyes and like a confessing teenage girl, Lal blushed like a tomato.

"I love you." Colonello said and before Lal knew it, their lips were locked and her eyes were closed. She felt as if a great burden had been lifted off her chest. Colonello pulled away and saw how tired Lal looked. "Will _you_ stay with me forever?" Lal looked as if she would be dead if she closed her eyes.

"Yeah." Lal mumbled. Her eyes were already drooping. Colonello panicked. "Lal! Don't go sleep yet!"

"Baka-Colonello, I'm not going to die..." and she fell asleep, courtesy of Colonello's rain flames. Colonello laid her down on the cot and brushed some strands of her blue hair out of her face. He vaguely wondered when Lal had ever looked so vulnerable. Well, it didn't matter. He would treasure the moment while it lasted.

"So you finally learned to act more lady-like, huh?"

Lal wasn't ever dependent for as long as he remembered but he now realized, that also wasn't true. Lal was dependent on him, and he was dependent on her. Lal depended on his presence very much that he'd only realized it when she broke down a while ago.

He realized, he shouldn't die for the one he loved.

He was following the wrong belief right from the very beginning.

He realized, he should live, for the sake of the one he loves.

* * *

**The end! Haha Happy Birthday to me! I'm finally 13! Yay!**


End file.
